FRISCO, Texas (KXAN) -- As people around the United States and Europe began dumping out their Russian vodka following the country's invasion of Ukraine, a Ukrainian vodka with headquarters in Texas saw a boom.
Kruto Vodka President and CEO Roman Talis, 63, said more than 50 new customers, including some significant suppliers, reached out offering support and purchases. Kruto is based in Frisco, just north of Dallas-Fort Worth.
"Our numbers at least doubled, if not more, compared to months before on what our distributors sell," Talis said.
Talis said his phone started ringing just hours after the invasion began. One of the first to call was the County Line restaurant in Austin.
"Unbelievable support," he said. "We're getting support from Austin, from San Antonio, from Houston, from El Paso, from Dallas."
Talis left Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) for America when he was 17. However, his distillery, 300 employees, and heart are all still there.
His distillery is located in the suburbs of Kyiv, but they're no longer making vodka. For one, the Russian Navy controls the port he usually ships from, but he also said the company has a more urgent priority.
"We don’t produce vodka now," he said. "We produce Molotov cocktails because it’s more important than vodka today," he said.
Earlier this month his company organized a march in Frisco in support of Ukraine. More than 500 people came out to walk with him.
"They had the pride, they were wearing T-shirts, they were walking with Ukrainian flags, and as we were walking cars were honking, it was an incredible feeling, incredible feeling," Talis said.
Now his company is working on fundraising for his besieged homeland.
"People of the United States, especially Texas, united to help Ukraine, and from the bottom of my heart, it's thanks to all Americans," he said.
